This was the peaceful rally opposing the Israeli president’s visit to Sydney, Australia last week that police then viciously attacked. A full-length film by Cathy Vogan.
Images of extreme police violence at a Sydney protest have been seen worldwide, but little has been heard of what 20,000+ (peaceful) protestors had to say about Israeli President Issac Herzog‘s presence in Australia. In brief, they wanted him arrested for incitement to genocide.
Here is the full event Palestine Action Group (PAG) organised for Feb. 9, the day of his arrival. Speakers include former Australian of the Year, Grace Tame; author and investigative journalist, Antony Loewenstein; and Senator Mehreen Faruqi.
The original plan was for speeches at Sydney Town Hall, followed by a march to NSW Parliament House, but police had shut off a large part of the city to protect the president, who would be speaking at another event that evening for victims of the Bondi massacre.
The shutdown was unsuccessfully appealed in the Supreme Court on the day of the protest, with the judgement coming at 5pm, 30 minutes before the protest began. The PAG event started on time but lasted longer than expected, and police were initially ordered to surround the crowd and prevent them from leaving.
Then they were told to clear the area as quickly as possible, lest protestors “smash into” (in the words of NSW Premier Chris Minns) attendees leaving the Herzog event. The combination inevitably caused a crowd crush and numerous injuries, with one woman having her spine fractured in four places. There is to be an investigation into police conduct.
Cameras: Cathy Vogan, Joe Lauria, and Mandy King and Fabio Cavadini of Frontyard Films. Producer and Editor: Cathy Vogan. Music: Free Palestine by Maher Zain. Time: 1 hr 57 min 27 sec. Stills follow.
The Australian Jewish Association [AJA] – calling them right-wing is generous – are at it again.
Earlier this week they pressured the Bendigo chamber of commerce to cancel Grace Tame’s appearance at an event they’ve organised for this year’s International Women’s Day, February 27.
[Bendigo is a regional city in the state of Victoria].
AJA chief executive Robert Gregory said “International Women’s Day should unite communities, not divide them or make any Australians feel unsafe.”
This coming from a man who is an adherent of a staunchly patriarchal religion.
Organisers of the event refused to buckle (so far) and said the the event would go ahead.
hxxps://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-02-20/grace-tame-international-womens-day-event-bendigo/106361838
Police FORCES, armed FORCES, security FORCES _ _ _ _ seems to be a pattern there.
The people have Power.
The government has FORCES.
These are not my words -they’re better than I could write. I Fully Agree with it All. ( From Patrick Lawrence):
“Yes, I can grieve for those who died last Sunday, but it is a question of recognition, of keeping things in proportion. Here is my admittedly simplified formula: I take the 15 victims at Bondi Beach and divide them by the 71,000 deaths in Gaza as of this writing. I get a fraction of 0.0002143 and this is the extent of my grief for the 15.
There is absolutely no certainty on this point, of course, and it is unlikely there ever will be. But the possibility of a Mossad provocation cannot be dismissed. The historical record suggests this. (Mossad is now assisting Australian investigators into the attack). And given the use Zionists make of the Bondi Beach events, the cui bono argument cannot be thrown out of court. .
Already there are Zionists in Australia and elsewhere asserting that anyone who has until now stood for the Palestinian cause bears responsible for the gruesome events at an Australian beach last Sunday. Reflecting this sentiment—and the political influence of militant Zionism in Australia—federal and state governments are now considering legislation that would, among much else, allow authorities to ban demonstrations and even speech in support of a free Palestine.
I take the opposite view as to where responsibility lies: Mossad op or no Mossad op, it is fairer to say it is Zionists who are responsible, directly or by way of the war they wage against Palestinians — and against morality and ordinary decency, against our public discourse, our laws and civil liberties, our consciences, our faculties of reason — for the deaths at Bondi Beach.
Post–Bondi, it follows immediately, it is ever more imperative that Jews the world over declare themselves either as Jews in the Judaic tradition or as Zionists. The urgency of mass denunciations of Zionism could hardly be more evident.”
Re. “it is ever more imperative that Jews the world over declare themselves either as Jews in the Judaic tradition or as Zionists. The urgency of mass denunciations of Zionism could hardly be more evident.”
As important, or more so, Jews need to declare that Israel MUST adopt true democracy where everyone, Jew, Muslim, Christian has equal rights, and if true democracy means Israel ceases to exist then so be it.
Why is it an abomination for peace & antigenocide activists to proclaim “from the river to the sea” when a similar phrase is part of the founding charter of the Likud Party?
I cite:
“The right of the Jewish people to the land of Israel is eternal and indisputable and is linked with the right to security and peace; therefore, Judea and Samaria will not be handed to any foreign administration;
between the Sea and the Jordan there will only be Israeli sovereignty.”
hxxps://jewishvirtuallibrary.org/original-party-platform-of-the-likud-party
The principles of which the Knesset wrote into law (breaching how many International Laws, one need not ask) with The Basic Law: Israel – the Nation-State of the Jewish People in July 2018.
(hxxps://en.idi.org.il/articles/24241)
The willingness of the majority of Australian members of parliament (MPs) – government and opposition alike – to succumb to the irrational and arrogant demands of a man wanted for the crimes of genocide beggars belief.
As an Australian, these people – the MPs – will never represent me.
re Grace’s critics: a of hypocritical old white misogynist men who need to keep their venomous mouths securely shut.
So this is Sydney?
Shameless!
Add me to your mailing list
Jail Herzog for war crimes. Power to the resistance. ??
“…one woman having her spine fractured in four places”.
To prevent her “smashing into” some privileged people, evidently.
Just brilliant. Thankyou all.
Palestine will be free.
BDS israel
What allow Australia? Israel will sink Australia into the sea!